1990:
Batting just more than .500.
1991:
1992, the last year for which I'm able to retrieve quality data from Impel Trading Cards (also the year I left elementary school):
Today:
As strong as Galactus.
Compare Iron Man over time to the much more stable metrics fluctuation for Spider-Man (1990, 1991, 1992, today) or the more plausible inflation for Thor, who was revised over this period to be an actual god and not just an architect with a magic hammer (1990, 1991, 1992, today). For the purposes of this report, we'll ignore that none of the measurements appear in like units, gaps in the data, and other "rigorous" science stuff. Note that while I don't have any formal training in performing regressions analysis, I do have multiple Ghost Rider rookie cards. Also, the complete set of 1990-series holograms, which not even the House of Ideas can boast. (These cards, incidentally, represent my investment plan for outlasting the global financial crisis.)
I only hope these new data I've uncovered—which seem at first glance to suggest force metrics inflation over a relatively short period of time—will prove useful in the hands of the appropriate analyst. I'm thinking primarily, of course, of one Spencer Ackerman, whose presentation last week at Transformer ("Iron Man Vs the Imperialists") was rivaled only by his American Prospect feature on the same subject. A mashup with DoD/SHIELD spending over the relevant time-frame seems in order. Presumably Julian Sanchez, Tom Lee, Yglesias, and The Nabob (who in tandem represent a sort of informal government watchdog group for character continuity) could also weigh in on Shellhead's massive, massive powers inflation. Probably the course-corrective action required here is spending more stimulative funds on DC Comics.
There's a comical panel in Amazing Fantasy #15 in which the authors essentially beg the reader to take a chance on this Spider-Man creation they're testing out. Check it out at the Library of Congress blog, where it's announced that an anonymous donor just gave the library Steve Ditko's original art for that issue.
(via cath)
Ledelle Moe's work shows up in a strip called Zippy the Pinhead.
(Courtesy a reader.)
Might Secret Headquarters be the coolest comic-book store in all the land? I wouldn't have guessed that a region of the nation that brought us the Avengers West Coast could win the title, and I haven't been, but nevertheless I'm impressed by the letterpressed gift certificates and the dapper look that this league of extraordinary comic dealers has cultivated. I was wowed by the size of Chicago Comics when I visited, but Tommy and I were both horrified when the comic book–store guy behind the counter actually used the comic book–store guy "best. x. evar." formulation. Yglesias is a Forbidden Planet booster. Never been there—I find myself more often near Midtown Comics, which is incidentally always out of everything.
I'm guessing there are legendary sites I'm excluding, but I'm informed by this chart that I'm a lesser, super hero–title reading nerd, so what do I know? I've always thought of myself as inclusive.
NB: This blog is the first search result for "talking to aliens while robotripping," if that helps to establish my bona fides in any way.
